


Stressed spelled backward is desserts

by Illumesia



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Baking, M/M, Post-Canon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, happy goro zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22086244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illumesia/pseuds/Illumesia
Summary: ‘Make a self-made gift’Something like that could work, especially since Goro didn't have his detective work to focus on anymore and had a lot of spare time because of it.But what is he even going to make for them?The boy then remembered one of the girls mentioning, during one of their many hangout days, that a new pastry shop had opened close by and really wanted to try out their famous brownies.He could...try and bake some for them?
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Takamaki Ann, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Kudos: 83





	Stressed spelled backward is desserts

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for the [Happy goro zine!](https://twitter.com/HappyGoroZine/status/1212045881370959872?s=20)  
> A lot of wonderful people worked on it, so please check it out!!

“Come on… There has to be something around here-”

The room was pitch black, with the only source of light being that of a laptop screen.

One Goro Akechi presumably had one too many cups of coffee that evening but also had to go to school in a few hours. If only the internet would give him a clear answer on what he should do to thank the Phantom Thieves for their kindness.

Just one thing that would suit the likings of his new friends.

“Ways...to…express…gratitude...” the boy typed into the pulled up search bar.

Within seconds his laptop gave enough search results that there should be at least one good idea in there. After a few seconds of scrolling, Goro found an article titled ‘10 creative ways to express gratitude towards your friends’ and clicked on it.

“‘Call to say hello’, I think Akira got at least 100 phone calls from me this week alone.

‘Like every post on friends’ social media feeds’, they really want me to look like a stalker, huh?

‘Say thank you’, how is that even a creative way of saying it?!”

The brunette sighed and checked his phone. 03:15 AM. Just 3 hours until he had to get up and get ready for school. He checked that site one more time and there something caught his eye.

‘Make a self-made gift’

Something like that could work, especially since Goro didn't have his detective work to focus on anymore and had a lot of spare time because of it.

But what is he even going to make for them?

The boy then remembered one of the girls mentioning, during one of their many hangout days, that a new pastry shop had opened close by and really wanted to try out their famous brownies.

He could...try and bake some for them?

It’s something self-made and it might be useful to them.

Goro closed his laptop and decides to go to his local supermarket after school tomorrow.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, I think this has to be everything.”

The brunette looked at all the things he bought at the supermarket with pride.

From butter and cocoa powder to even some lacking cooking supplies.

“Let’s begin then shall we? First I need to preheat the oven and while I’m waiting I have to-

Wait a second, this recipe is for six slices?!”

Goro wasn’t prepared for this, he probably was too tired to carefully read that this wasn’t enough for all of them.

Is it okay to use double the amount of ingredients to make more brownies? How many does he even need? 1, 2, 3, Can Morgana even eat chocolate? 

Okay so around 8 slices, but what if people would want a second slice? Does he use triple the amount of ingredients?

While the former detective was panicking, the oven had the time to preheat and it was time to put the brownies in.

“Okay, calm down. I’ll just use double the ingredients to have 12 slices instead of 6.”

Goro takes the bowl and reads the recipe carefully.

“So first I have to use ½ cup of butter. No, wait 1 cup of butter and then 4 eggs-”

Slowly but surely, the huge amount of brownie batter looked quite decent and the boy spread it into the never-before-used square baking mold.

He opened the oven and carefully placed the mold in the middle.

Goro was actually quite proud of himself as he searched something to do since he would have to wait 25 minutes to this taste his probably delicious brownies.

What could go wrong?

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You know, I love chocolate and all but even I find this flavour to be too strong.”

Ann was sitting on his couch, trying her best to swallow a chunk of brownie.

So apparently, if you use double the amount of ingredients it only makes it taste a lot more intense instead of simply doubling the number of brownies. Goro could have known this if he wasn’t panicking so much on what to do.

“That’s why I wanted you to try it first because I wouldn’t want to ruin everyone’s appetite…” the brunette sighed.

Ann smiled at him and walked towards the kitchen.

Over the past few months, the blonde and the brunette became quite close and did a lot of things together such as shopping, eating at new restaurants and just have lovely conversations.

Goro could even say they were best friends.

“I have to say, this idea is really cute of you, Goro-kun. Wait, I have an idea!

I will help you make something!”, Ann said with a big grin on her face.

“You can bake?”

“I’ve done it once or twice, how hard can it be?”

That’s the same thing Goro said before the whole brownie disaster.

“Alright then”, the boy applied. “What are we going to make then?”

“Tarte Tatin!”

“Tarte- what?”

“Tarte Tatin”, Ann’s eyes were glowing. “It’s a French pie with apples and caramel and I really wanted to try it out! Come, we’ve got to go to the supermarket before it is closed.”

\--

While Ann was busy pouring sugar into a pan to prepare the caramel, Goro was cutting the apples they needed for their pie. It was already getting quite late and the brunette still had some homework to do, but Ann’s enthusiasm got the better of him.

This recipe truly was simple like she told him, they only needed to make the caramel, cut some apples, put them around some dough, throw it into the oven and they were done.

Ann even insisted to buy some premade the dough, because she was too hungry to make it herself.

“So, the caramel is done. How is it going on your end, Goro-kun?”

The blonde walked towards him, grabbed the baking form and clicked the ring onto the bottom part.

“I think I have a decent amount of apples cut for now, what is the next step?” Goro said while placing the bowl of cut apples next to the baking form.

“I’m going to pour this caramel into the baking form and you have to place the apples all around the form on top of the caramel.”

Akechi placed the apples carefully after Ann poured the caramel into the baking form.

The model got the dough and rolled it out into a big square.

“Now we just need to do the final step and we can put it in the oven. Aaahh, I can’t wait to taste it!”

Ann drooled while placing the dough above Goro’s apple art piece and tucked it in like a mother tucking their child into bed. When the pie was finally ready to go Goro put it in the oven.

“I guess we'll have to wait until it’s finished, would you like something to drink?”

\--

They both walked to the living room and sat next to each other on the couch.

Ann smirks slightly.

“Soooo, Goro-kun. How has Akira been?”

Goro almost choked from drinking too fast and he felt a blush creeping upon his face.

“W-what do you mean? Can’t you ask him yourself?”

“He has been busy lately and kept having phone call dates with a certain someone.” Ann poked him in his waist, “Come oonn, we all know you two have something. Tell me the details!”

The former detective was not up for this conversation.

“First of all, we don’t have anything and second-”

His sentence got cut off by a strong smell flowing through the air into his nose.

It was a sweet scent, and yet something felt off. 

“Ann, do you smell something as well?”

The girl looked at him with a confused face and sniffed the air.

“It’s the caramel! But it also smells like something is burning…”

Something is burning...?

  
  


Shit!

\----------

Whenever Goro goes to his favourite cafe Leblanc, he gets greeted by the smell of coffee and comfort. No matter how many times he goes to the cafe, it is always a pleasure to be there. It always has such a quiet and calming atmosphere. Always, except for today.

Where laughter has been filling the cafe walls for the past twenty minutes and one Goro Akechi being so embarrassed that he wanted to leave.

“Akira, you don’t know how long it took me to get all of the caramel out of my oven and kitchen! Even with Ann’s help, it took us over two hours”, Goro pouted at him.

“I- I’m sorry Goro, b-but it’s too funny. How can you even have your whole oven and kitchen full of burnt c-caramel.” the raven said through laughter.

Akechi was at a complete loss of how it happened.

They followed the recipe step by step and it still turned into a disaster.

Maybe he doesn’t have any luck at all.

“I actually don’t quite know how it happened myself. We probably used too much caramel or used the wrong kind of baking mold, but it’s not like we can change it now. I would have to find something else that shows my gratitude towards you guys.”

Akira finally calmed down after his laughing burst and laid his hand on Goro’s.

“Hey, you know you don’t have to make anything for us right? We’re already glad that you’re alive and happy. Buuuut if you really wanted to bake something why didn’t you ask baking expert Akira for help?”

The brunette looked at him in disbelief. 

“You? Baking expert? You really are a jack of all trades, huh?”

Goro sipped from his coffee mug.

The raven looked at him with pride in his eyes.

“Remember those cookies you ate last week and thought I bought them at the convenience store? I actually baked them myself, you can ask Futaba and Sojiro if you don’t believe me.”

So Akira could actually bake, he remembers how good the cookies tasted.

Should he really take another try at it? At least it isn’t at his house but at Leblanc.

“Well then, ‘baking expert’ can you help me with making something for my friends?”

“Of course my dear prince”, Akira grinned at him. “Do you have anything in mind you want to make?”

“No, not really, as long as it isn’t too difficult for even me to fail.”

The raven walked to the kitchen and looked around at the possible ingredients he has at home.

“Uuh, we can make some cupcakes? It’s really simple and I have the ingredients right here if that’s alright with you?” Akira spoke from behind the fridge.

Cupcakes? That doesn’t sound too bad, I guess.

“Sure, where can I help?” Goro stood from his chair and walked towards Akira who was already grabbing ingredients.

“If you can grab a bowl from underneath the counter and a mixer, that would be lovely.”

The brunette searched for the stuff the other boy mentioned and when he found them Akira already seemed ready to bake.

“Oke, so first we have to make the batter with the eggs, sugar, milk, flour and baking soda.

I was thinking about adding some vanilla extract because I know you and the girls love sweets. I’ll go measure everything and you have to put everything into the bowl and mix it.”

While Akira was busy measuring everything, Goro felt a bit nervous standing so close to the raven. Was baking usually this intimate? He didn’t remember being this nervous around Ann while they were baking. Maybe it’s just the pressure of trying to not fail in front of Akira.

Whatever it was, the former detective had to focus on the task at hand and tried his best not to spill anything Akira handed him over.

  
  
  


In the end, Akira thought him a lot of useful things and not only for baking but also for cooking in general.

He taught him how to mix things better, Goro really needed that because last time his whole kitchen was covered in chocolate batter, how to pour the batter into the cups and many more things. Goro was a bit nervous about the end result, but after 30 minutes they were finally ready to be eaten.

“Eh Fiola” Akira showed the tray with delicious looking cupcakes on it. “Crow and Joker’s masterpiece; cupcakes made with love!”

The brunette couldn’t believe it. He didn’t mess up this time and these cupcakes look edible as well.

“I told you it was an easy recipe! Now as the main chef, you should take the first bite of your creation and don’t worry, I made sure to make enough for everybody.”

Akira handed him the cupcake and Goro stared at it. He slowly took off the cupcake liner and took a small bite. The first thing he tasted was the vanilla extract Akira was talking about and it made the whole cake so sweet and delicious. Akechi couldn’t believe he could make something this tasty while taking another big bite from the cake.

“Seeing those sparkles in your eyes, I assume it came out quite good.” The raven gave him one of his softest smiles and took a bite on his own cupcake as well.

“Also I texted the others while we were waiting and we all agreed to meet up tomorrow, so you better be here after school to give them your present.”

Tomorrow he can give the others his act of gratitude. He hoped his friends would enjoy it just as much as he did. Goro felt this fuzzy and warm from the inside.

  
_He wants to feel this happiness forever._

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by my own baking experiences, I'm really terrible at baking XD
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the story!!
> 
> My [Twitter](https://twitter.com/illumesia/status/1212776957202571266?s=20)


End file.
